Rose bubble tip tried eating my mandarine goby!

[ferro]

Last night I saw my mandarine goby was stuck in one of my bubble tips! I pulled him out and removed the slimy stringy stuff that had surrounded him. He was breathing and saw some twitching in the fins. When moving him around he would occasionally jolt and move. Its been about 10 hours now and I have had him sitting in a bowl inside the tank to keep the hermits from finishing him off. He is still breathing but still not swimming. Do I need to put him down or should I continue to wait it out and see if he can purge the toxin?

 

[JasonK84]

What toxin?

 

[ferro]

I'm assuming the stings from the anenome, maybe I'm miss informed.

 

[JasonK84]

?? i would think that if a fish was able to get stuck to a bubble tip it may have already been in a weekend state. Almost like fish getting stuck to a power head. A healthy fish should be able to get away.

How long have you had the mandarin and how mature is the system? Are there plenty of copepods? Was the fish QT'd?

I'm sure there are instances of healthy fish getting caught by anemones but probably more common that this happens to fish that are compromised.

Hope he recovers but it doesn't sound good.

 

[ferro]

Ive had the mandarine for 6 months tank is right around a year old. I have a good pod population in tank and refuge. I did just do a water change yesterday so not sure if I did something that could have upset him.

 

[ZachR32]

Mandarins don’t recognize nems as dangerous so they frequently are eaten

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bubble tips have sticky tentacles like glue and will entrap food and anything else within reach. Being as delicate as they are, sorry, but Mandarin likely will not survive

 

[ferro]

Just an update, Larry (Green Dragonet) Did not make it. He was still breathing in the morning but could not swim so I put him down. I have 7 bubble tips currently so I think I'll think about that more with my fish purchases.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Victoria M]

That is sad. Sorry for your loss.